The following is attributable to Spokesperson John Kirby:

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry met today with four Central Asian foreign ministers on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Meeting. Welcoming ministers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Secretary regretted that the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan was unable to make it to Hamburg while noting the continued strong commitment by all five countries to the C5+1 diplomatic platform. The group continued the talks begun in Samarkand last November during Secretary Kerry's historic trip to Central Asia, and built upon this August in Washington. This was the fourth time the ministers have met to discuss regional issues of mutual interest, such as economic connectivity, regional security, environment and climate change, and humanitarian issues.

The Secretary congratulated the ministers on their countries' 25th anniversary year of independence, and celebrated United States' recognition of their independence and our support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of each of their countries.

Secretary Kerry underscored the U.S. commitment to the C5+1 diplomatic platform as a means to work with the Central Asian countries on regional and global challenges, and highlighted our support for the region. The Secretary and the four foreign ministers also discussed the progress made on the five joint projects, which were agreed upon in August at the C5+1 ministerial meeting in Washington. Secretary Kerry reiterated our commitment to the C5+1 format as we broaden and deepen our relationship with the Central Asian states.

Uzbekistan will maintain the continuity and consistency in its foreign policy aimed at the protection and promotion of the country's fundamental interests, said the Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

He was addressing the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg.

"Uzbekistan is a strong supporter of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and it supports resolving contradictions and conflicts only in a peaceful and political way," said Kamilov.

"The republic (Uzbekistan) made a fundamental and explicit choice not to join any military and political blocs or alliances, not to allow the deployment of foreign military bases on its territory and not to send the country's military personnel outside the country," he explained.

The main priority of the Uzbek foreign policy is to preserve peace and stability in Central Asia, to turn it into a zone of sustainable development in the context of preserved instability in Afghanistan, the foreign minister added.

AUCC Members are honored to be the first international business delegation to be invited by the people of Uzbekistan to visit the country after Presidential Elections on December 4. 

AUCC looks forward to meeting with the country's new leadership to address and advance commercial opportunities of mutual interest. Please join AUCC as a member and be part of our delegation to Uzbekistan.